


Haunted

by INKQueen



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Drabble, Gen, nothing heavy duty, steph gets hit with fear toxin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 21:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13598829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/INKQueen/pseuds/INKQueen
Summary: Steph gets into a dangerous situation and Barbara has to bring her home.Again, old stuff I'm just putting up here now.





	Haunted

“Hey O? Oracle? Barbara? I need… Please…”

Stephanie’s shaking voice came in over the comms, instantly putting Barbara on high alert. Steph had been really good about not using names on the comms since Bruce had scolded her about it last week. But even through the tinny crackle, Barbara could hear her fear. Her fingers froze on the keyboard where she was cleaning out the virus that had crippled Arkham’s security and allowed Scarecrow to escape. She shoved off, chair rolling down to the other end of her computer bank where the camera feeds were.

“Anybody got eyes on Batgirl?” she asked sharply of the others, who were all busy cleaning up the streets. There was a chorus of negatives.

“I’m… I’m in the sewers, Babs. I -- I need -- need someone to come get --”

“Batgirl, you’re going to be okay,” Babs put on a calming tone, her eyes roving until they fixed on the feed from Stephanie’s mask cam. Sure enough, the sewers. “Does anybody know if Batgirl got the most recent update of the fear toxin vaccine?”

There was dead silence on the other end of the line except for Stephanie’s shuddering breaths. It spoke volumes.

Barbara’s anxiety kicked into overdrive. Scarecrow had released a huge cloud of his newest batch of toxin over Gotham tonight.

“I’m near the 56th street entrance to the sewers,” Tim piped up helpfully.

“Head down there as soon as you can, Red Robin. Batgirl is under 31st and Weston, she’ll meet you there.”

“Babs… please…” Stephanie was crying now. It wasn’t clear if the toxin had taken effect yet, or if she was simply terrified of what she had to know was coming.

“It’s okay Batgirl, just get to Red Robin’s location.”

“I -- I don’t think I can, I don’t -- I don’t know the way.”

Barbara’s heart clenched. “It’s alright Steph,” she said, lowering her voice. “I’ll guide you.”

“Please don’t leave me alone down here.”

“I won’t,” Barbara promised, a map of the sewer system already pulled up on her screen. Barbara muted the other comm channels; it was just her and Steph now, and her own heartbeat thudding in her ears. Her useless legs tingled, but she was stuck here at her desk. The best she could do was get Stephanie to safety.

Babs blew up Stephanie’s cam feed to fill a whole screen, overlaying the route to Tim’s location.

“Okay Steph, just head forward until you hit the next intersection, then take a right,” Babs instructed, throwing the no-names rule out completely.

“Babs, it’s so dark.”

“Is your night vision filter on?”

“I -- I don’t know.”

Barbara checked her own override system. Her heart skipped a beat; Steph's filter was on. If she couldn’t see, then it meant the toxin was kicking into its first stage. If they could get Steph the antidote before the second stage, she wouldn’t have to go through the full effects. Barbara’s only hope was that Steph’s previous immunity would slow the toxin. For now, she would have to be Steph’s eyes.

“Just keep going forward, Steph. I’ll guide you.”

Steph’s camera view lurched forward and Barbara fixed her eyes on the green and gray tinted screen.

“Now take a right. Head straight.”

The camera shook when Stephanie stumbled.

“You’re doing fine, Stephanie.”

As far as Babs knew, Steph had never been through a fear toxin episode. Of course, she’d seen it happen to other people. God, no wonder she was terrified.

“Ignore the branches and head straight. Keep your hand on the wall.”

A memory clawed its way into Barbara’s head. Stephanie insisting that they all try the pancakes that Alfred had helped her make last Saturday morning.

_“They’re apple and cinnamon flavored! Pair that with a pumpkin spice latte and you have the ultimate fall breakfast!”_

“Babs? Are you still there? Please don’t leave me alone.”

Babs clenched her fists, digging her nails hard into her palms. “Never Steph. I’m right here. Just keep moving forward.”

“Keep your hand on the right wall. Keep following it.”

Dry sobs occasionally took over all other noise on the line.

“There’s a two foot gap in front of you. Step over it and you’ll be fine.”

Barbara hadn’t blinked in two minutes.

“Watch out for the grate.”

A few blocks had never felt so long.

“Keep going.”

She didn’t want to think about what Steph would see if --

“Oh god.”

“Steph? Stephanie! Are you okay?”

The camera view dropped several feet. Stephanie began crying in earnest. If she could, Barbara would have been standing. She resorted instead to shouting.

“Stephanie! What’s going on!”

“It’s -- It’s Tim. Oh god, there’s so much blood…”

There was nothing.

Barbara cursed the day Jonathan Crane was born and opened up her channel to Tim, glancing at his locator.

“ -- hear something, Oracle, what’s going on?”

“Tim, head west and take a right. She needs you NOW.”

The little glowing dot that was Tim took off. Babs turned her attention back to Steph. “Stephanie, listen to me. It’s not real. Tim’s fine, he’s on his way right now.”

She knew it was useless. You can’t reason with fear toxin.

“Dad, no, please, just leave him alone!”

Stephanie shouldn’t be alone right now. But she was.

Steph’s voice rose to a scream, and the camera jerked

It was all useless, Barbara was useless…

There was a flicker around the corner and then Tim was there, his chest covering Barbara’s view. There was a sound that Babs hoped was the cap of a syringe being torn off, then silence.

“It’s okay Steph, it’s just me,” Tim’s voice came over the comm, calm.

Steph broke down into wracking sobs, and the camera shifted again to show Tim’s shoulder and face as he held Stephanie.

“Oracle?”

“Here. Did you get to her in time?”

“I think so. She needs to rest, but I don’t think she’ll have to wait it out. I’m bringing her home.”

Barbara nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. Finally she tore her eyes away from the screen, rubbing them and letting out a shuddering sigh.

“Babs?” Stephanie’s voice came on, small and shaky. “Thank you.”

Barbara leaned back in her chair, her hair draping over the back, looking around at her dim nook, filled with screens at every angle, humming and thoroughly inhuman. A sparkly jack-o-lantern from Steph winked at her from the corner of her main monitor.

“That’s what I’m here for.”


End file.
